Elevator signalling apparatus



ELEVATOR SIGNALLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 29, 1953 1N VENTOR. KM

ZU ZM ATTRNEYS.

Jan. l0, 1956 c. w. LERcH 2,730,693

ELEVATOR SIGNALLING APPARATUS Filed May 29, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UnitedStates Patent Oiice 2,730,693 Patented Jan. 10, 1956 ELEVATOR SIGNALLINGAPPARATUS Charles W. Lerch, Wilmette, Ill.

Application May 29, 1953, Serial No. 358,428

4 Claims. (Cl. 340-49) This invention relates to elevator signallingapparatus; in particular, it concerns novel automatic apparatus forwarning persons waiting for an elevator that passengers will be leavingthe car when it stops at a particular floor.

Automatic and semi-automatic elevators are rapidly increasing inpopularity. Generally speaking, thanks to the automatic-controlmechanisms heretofore invented by persons working in the elevator art,such elevators are as fast in operation as manually operated elevatorsand are substantially safer, since door operation, floor leveling, etc.,are accomplished without being dependent on fallible human judgment.

One important problem encountered in the operation of automatic andsemi-automatic elevators, however, is the problem of traffic congestionat oor stops. Frequently, persons seeking to enter a car at a particulariloor find themselves travelling cross-current to passengers on the carwho are seeking to leave it, with resulting confusion and delay.

The primary object of the present invention is to solve that problem byproviding novel automatic means for warning persons at a floor stop whenpassengers on the car will be debarking. Thus warned, the personswaiting at the tloor stop can stand clear of the doors and give thedebarking passengers an opportunity to get off the car before thewaiting passengers enter it.

Traditionally, the function just described has of course been performedby the human elevator operator. The present invention provides effectiveautomatic means for accomplishing the same result.

In broad outline, my invention consists in providing on each floor adistinctive signal, which may, for example, be a light accompanying theusual up-down indicator lights. That distinctive signal, which might becalled the debarkation signal, is automatically actuated on a giveniloor whenever the car stops at that floor responsively to a signalinitiated from within the car. Thus, a passenger desiring to use the carto ride upward from his floor will press the call button in the hallwayin the usual manner. If, when the car arrives, no passenger is to getoff, the customary up light will tlash, announcing the arrival of thecar. If passengers are to debark from the car at that floor, the usualup light will lllash, and in addition the debarkation signal will beactuated, thus announcing the arrival of the car and warning the waitingpersons that they must afford clearance for debarking passengers beforeboarding the car themselves.

Incidentally, while the distinctive debarkation signal may be a speciallight, such as a blue light, it will be understood that it can take anydesired form. For example, the debarkation signal may be a bell orbuzzer, or it may consist of an automatic recording playing through aloud speaker and announcing a suitable Warning such as Please standback, passengers will be leaving the car. In the detailed description ofthe invention whichfollows, the debarkation signal will be described asa distinctively colored light, but it is to be understood that that isillustrative only. Substitution of a dilerent type of signal is wellwithin the skill of persons familiar with the art.

In the drawing which accompanies this specification, I have shown indiagrammatic form a particular embodiment of my invention, as applied toa modern automatic elevator. I have in the drawing shown as much of theconventional automatic control mechanism as is necessary for anunderstanding of my invention, and have shown my invention properprimarily by means of schematic diagrams.

In the drawing, Figure l shows a fragmentary perspective View of aportion of an elevator installation, showing the entrance doors onseveral different floors. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion ofthe automatic selector mechanism which is the principal control devicein a modern automatic elevator installation. While the control selectoris not directly a part of my invention, my invention is in partincorporated in the control selector and functions cooperativelytherewith. Fig. 3 is a schematic wiring diagram showing the electricaldetails of my invention and showing also the manner in which it iscoordinated with the conventional automatic controls. Figs. 4 and 5 areschematic diagrams showing respectively typical magnetic control-buttondevices. They do not of themselves form a part of my invention, but havebeen illustrated to facilitate understanding of the circuit operation.

Referring now to Fig. l, I have shown herein an elevator car 101, whichis mounted in a vertical shaft, supported on suitable cables and poweredby a suitable electric motor (not shown). The driving motor iscustomarily situated in a penthouse or other enclosure above the top ofthe shaft, and is accompanied by the control selector 102.

Each oor, in addition to having automatically controlled doors 103 andup-and-down signal buttons 104, is provided with indicator-light panels105. Each of the light panels 105 is provided with an up indicator light11u, a down indicator light 11d, and a debarkationwarning light 11w.

While persons familiar with the automatic-elevator art are wellacquainted with the mechanism of control selector 102, a briefdescription of the device will be helpful in facilitating anunderstanding of my present invention. The selector is essentially aminiature elevator having a small car called a crosshead 106, movingvertically on guides 107. The crosshead 106 is moved vertically by meansof a mechanical drive comprising a worm 108, bevel gears 109 and 110,sprocket 111, and tape or chain 112. The tape 112 has its terminalsconnected respectively to the car 101 and the counter-Weight (notshown), and the crosshead 106 is driven by tape 112 in exact synchronismwith the car. In other words, when the car 101 is at the top oor, thecrosshead 106 occupies a vertical position on guides 107 correspondingin miniature to the top-floor position of the car, and when the carstarts downward the crosshead likewise moves vertically, the worm 103eifecting a great step-down in vertical travel, such that the totalvertical distance moved by the crosshead is only a small fraction ofthat traversed by the car. For each vertical position of the car,however, the crosshead has a counterpart position on the selector 102.FiXedly mounted on its frame in th respective positions corresponding tothe various lioors the selector 102 carries a plurality of iloor bars113, each of which carries a group of spaced electrical contacts 114,mutually insulated from one another. Cooperating with the variouselectrical contacts on floor bars 113 is a contact panel 115 which moveswith and forms an integral part of the crosshead 106. Contact panel 115carries a plurality of sliding electrical contacts, insulated from oneanother and spaced for cooperation with the various banks of fixedcontacts 114 on the floor bars 113. When the Crosshead moves from oneposition to another, responsively to movement ofthe car 161, the Contactpanel 115 moves vertically with respect to the Vfloor bars 113. Thus,for example, when the car 191 is at the fth floor, the contact panel 115is in the position at which the electrical contacts which it carries areall touching, and hence in electrical circuit with, the various fixedcontacts on the floor bar corresponding to the iifth oor.

It will be understood that the fixed contacts on the various floor barsare so arranged as to form vertical banks of contacts, engagedsuccessively by the moving contacts on panel 115 as the Crosshead movesthrough its range of vertical movement.

Floor leveling is accomplished by means of leveling cams 116, incooperation with rollers 117 and suitable control mechanism. Since theleveling cams are not involved in the operation of the presentinvention, no further description of them need be made.

The number of banks of fixed contacts 114, and of corresponding movablecontacts on panel 115, is a matter of choice, depending on thecomplexity of the system and the character of the functions to beperformed. In the present invention, several of the customarily usedbanks of contacts on the Hoor bars are involved, and, in addition, Iemploy a separate bank of contacts, together with a correspondingmovable contact on panel 115, not found in conventional automaticsystems.

With that background description of the operation of an automaticselector, I can now refer to Fig. 3 in which I have schematicallydisclosed the details of my present invention. n Fig. 3 I have shown anumber of banks of the contacts 114, representing a group of typicalfloor bars on a selector 102. For convenience, I have arbitrarily chosento represent the floor bars for floors three through seven inclusive.Each of the contacts 114 shown in Fig. 3 is designated by a numeralindicating the lloor and a letter indicating the bank, so that thecontact 114 in bank a on the floor bar corresponding to the fifth flooris designated 5(1, and so on. I have shown, in Fig. 3, six banks ofhoor-bar contacts, designated a to f inclusive. It will be understoodthat a particular automatic elevator selector embodying my invention maycarry additional banks of floor-bar contacts, but they will be employedin connection with other operations not presently involved and thus neednot be shown.

The movable contacts on the Crosshead contact panel 115 corresponding tothe respectve banks a to f of the floor-bar contacts are designatedll5a, "ll5b, and

so on.

Bank f is the bank of floor-bar contacts used for control of theup-indicator lights 11u, and the bulbs employed in those lights areschematically indicated on Fig. 3 and designated 111.'. Bank e of thefloor-bar contacts is employed in the control of the down-indicatorlights 11d, and the bulbs employed in the various downindicator lanternsare shown schematically in Fig. 3 and marked 11a'.

The d bank of floor-bar contacts shown in Fig. 3 is the special bankadded by me for use as a part of my invention, and they are employed forcontrol of the debarkation-warning lights 11W. The bulbs used in thoselights are schematically shown on Fig. 3 and marked 11u.

The a bank of hoor-bar contacts is employed in conjunction with thefinger-operated control switches located in the elevator car and usedfor stopping the car at selected iioors. Those switches are generallydesignated 21 (see Fig. 4), followed on Fig. 3 by the number of thefloor with which each is associated. That is, the switch in the car 101operative for stopping the car at the seventh floor is designated 217,the switch for stopping the car at the sixth floor is numbered 216, andso on. Fig. 4 shows schematically a suitable finger-actuated switchsuitable for use in the position of switches 217, 216, etc.

The b 'bank of oor-bar contacts functions in connection with thelinger-operated switches used in the various halls for signalling car161 when it is descending. These down-buttons may be conventional,normally open switches, generally designated 22, followed by the numberof the corresponding floor, such as 227, 226, etc., and the letter dstanding for down In connection with each down button, a relay generallydesignated 23 is used (see Fig. 5), the individual relays 23 beingnumbered in accordance with the same convention, as 2371!, 2365!, etc.Fig. 5 shows schematically the manner in which one of the relays 23 maybe Wired.

Bank c of floor-bar contacts functions in connection with the hallswitches used for signalling car 101 when it is moving upward. rI'he upbuttons, and their corresponding relays, may be structurally identicalto the corresponding down" buttons and relays. Accordingly, they aredesignated respectively l22711, 23711, etc.

Crosshead contact 11511 is connected to the conventional car-controlcircuits through the winding 33 of a low-resistance relay, having a.pair of normally open contacts designated 33a. The Crosshead contacts1151) and C are connected to the car-control circuits in theconventional manner.

Crosshead contact 11'd is connected to one of the contacts 34h, -theother contact 3411 being connected through relay winding 34 to one ofthe contacts 33a. Relay 34, in addition to contacts 34b alreadymentioned, is provided with another pair of normally open contacts 34a,contacts 34a being connected in parallel with contacts 33a. The otherContact 33a may be grounded and is connected to one side of a suitablevoltage source such as transformer 35, the other side of voltage source35 being connected through contacts 45a to that terminal of winding 34which is connected to one of the contacts 34b.

The down-indicator lights controlled by bank e and the up-indicatorlights controlled by bank L of the contacts 114, operate alternately, sothat when the car is rising the down lights do not function, and viceversa. This is accomplished by means of a reversing relay 36, connectedinto the car-control circuits in the conventional manner. Relay 36 isprovided with two pairs of contacts, respectively designated 36d and3611, arranged so that when one pair ofcontacts is open the other isclosed. Crosshead contact 115e is connected through contacts 36d andcontacts '45a to the ungrounded side of voltage source 3S, and crossheadcontact 115]c is connected to the same point through contacts 36u and45a.

Contacts 45a are under the control of a relay coil 45 which is connectedinto the car-control circuits in the conventional way to cause contacts45a to close any time a stop is initiated and to open when the carstarts again.

A suitable D.'C. voltage source 37 vis indicated as a source of energyfor actuating the solenoids in the relays 23, one side of voltage source37 being grounded as indicated, and the other side being connected asshown, to one terminal'ofthe center-tapped solenoid 23a which iscarriedin each of the relays 237d, 237u, etc. (See Fig. 5.)

Before describing in detail the'operation of my invention, I shalldescribe, with reference to Figs. 4 and 5, the operationof'the-finger-actuated switches 21 and the relays 23.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a control switch of the type suitable for use inthe car 101 as a floor-stop switch. The linger-button 21a ismechanically pivoted to a permanent-magnet armature 2lb, pivoted at oneend and carrying at its other end a movable electrical contact 21C,mounted for cooperation with a fixed contact 21d. Mounted beneatharmature 2lb is a solenoid winding 21e, wound on apermanently'nia'gnetized iron core 21j. Core 21f is so polarized thatwhen pivoted armature 2lb Vis pressed into' contact withit,'oppositemagnetic. poles are brought together,'so that the armature2lb and core Zlf will remain in contact, held by magnetic attraction.Armature 2lb is normally held away from core 213c by a light spring 21gwhich, however, is too weak to overcome the attraction of elements 2lband 21f when they are touching one another. The winding 21e is connectedto the terminal control circuits in a conventional manner such that whenthe car reaches the end of its run, in either direction, a current ismomentarily passed through winding 21a in a direction opposing andoverriding the normal magnetic polarization of core 211. This releasesarmature 2lb, which then is drawn upward by spring 21g, thus breakingthe electrical circuit between contacts 21C and 21d.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious to persons skilled inthe art that when button 21a has been pressed by an occupant of car 101it will remain in its depressed condition until the cars upward ordownward journey has been completed, at which time it will beautomatically released.

In Fig. 5, I have schematically illustrated a relay 23 suitable for usein connection with the various call button switches 227d, 22714, etc.Those push-button switches, exemplified in Fig. 5 by switch 22, may beconventional normally open single-pole switches. The relay 23 consistsessentially of a center-tapped, iron-core solenoid 23a, provided with apermanently magnetized armature 23b. Armature 231') may be pivoted at asuitable intermediate point, as shown, and is provided at one end withan electrical contact member 23C, which acts in cooperation with fixedcontact member 23d. A suitable compression spring 23e holds armature231: normally in a position in which contacts 23C and 23d are open.

One terminal of solenoid coil 23a is connected to D,C. source 37, andthe other terminal is connected to the appropriate licor-bar contact 114through the relay contacts 23C and 23d. The center tap of solenoid 23ais connected to ground through the call-button switch 22.

From a study of Fig. 5, the operation of relay 23 will be clear topersons skilled in the art. Momentary closure of switch 22 will cause acurrent to ow through half of coil 23a in a direction that willmagnetize the solenoid core with a polarity to attract the permanentlymagnetized armature 23b. Once the magnetized armature has come intocontact with the core of solenoid 23a, it is held there after switch 22is opened, the force of magnetic armature 23h overriding the force ofspring 23e. Thus contacts 23e and 23d are closed following a momentaryclosure of switch 22, and they remain closed until a surge of currentflows through them via one of the floonbar contacts 114 and itscorresponding crosshead contact. When that occurs, the current flowsthrough solenoid 23a in the opposite direction and causes the magnetizedarmature 23b to he repelled from the core of coil 23a. At that point,armature 23b returns to its normal position under the urging of spring23e, and contacts 23e and 23d are opened, breaking the circuit.

Operation Having described the apparatus involved, I shall now describethe operation of my invention.

Let us assume that the car 101 is starting upward from the tirst floor,Under those conditions, relay 36 will be in the position indicated, withcontacts 36u closed. Assume that a person on the fourth floor wishes togo up. He will press the appropriate button closing switch 2241i, thusclosing the electrical circuit through relay 2341i, As the crosshead 106on selector 102 rises, crosshead Contact 115e will engage floor-barcontact 4c shortly before car ,itil reaches the fourth floor, and thecar-control circuits will automatically bring the car to a stop at thatdoor, at the same time actuating relay 45 and closing contacts 45a.Simultaneously, crosshead contact 115]l will engage oor-bar contact 4fand cause the hall lantern 11n on the fourth iloor to light.

Now suppose that in addition to being signalled to stop at the fourthoor by a person in the fourth-floor hall, car 101 has also been orderedto stop at that oor by a passenger in the car. Such order would havebeen given by pressing the appropriate button inside the car to 'closeswitch 214. As a result, when car 101 approached the fourth oor,crosshead Contact a would engage floor-bar contact fiez, causing currentto flow through coil 33, closing contacts 33a. Closure of contacts 33aenergizes coil 34, closing its contacts 34a and 34h, and coil 34 willremain energized so long as contacts 45a are closed.

At the same time contact 115a engages contact 4a, crosshead contact 115dengages contact 4d, so that upon the closure of contacts 34b the exitwarning light 11W in the fourth door hall is lighted. As a result, thepersons waiting on the fourth floor are not only apprised of the arrivalof car 101 by means of the regular uplight liu but are also warned, bymeans of light 11w, that passengers will be debarking from the elevatoron that iioor. After the passengers exited from the car and the waitingpassengers have boarded it, car 101 will continue its journey, contacts45a opening as soon as the car starts. This breaks the circuit to lights17 and 11W and also breaks the circuit to coil 34, causing contacts 34aand 34th to open.

A similar cycle of events will take place in any other situation inwhich the car stops responsively to a signal from inside the car,whether the car be traveling upward or downward.

Thus, with my invention, persons waiting in a hallway for the elevatorare always given notice when passengers will be leaving the car at thatfloor.

As lr stated in an earlier paragraph, the exit-warning lights 11W caneasily be replaced by any other desired type of signal, such as a bellor a recorded voice announcement,

It will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that the inventionherein disclosed may, if desired, be employed to give notice inside thecar, by means of a suitable light or a recorded announcement, when astop is being made in response to a signal originating at a hallstation. No separate wiring diagram of such an arrangement is believednecessary, since it would simply involve placing Athe exit-warningsignals inside the car and using, instead of relay winding 33,corresponding relay windings connected in circuit with the crossheadcontacts liSb and i155.

While i have in this specification described in considerable detail atypical embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that theembodiment described is illustrative only. Many changes in details canbe made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spiritof my invention.

i claim:

l. 'in an automatic elevator installation comprising a car, a pluralityof floor stations, up and down hall lanterns for each of such floors,automatic power mechanism for moving the car between floor stations, andmanually operable switch means within said car for controlling saidautomatic power mechanism to stop the car at any selected one of saidfloor stations, the improvement which comprises a passenger exit warningsignal located at each of said floor stations, and mechanism operativeresponsively to an actuation of said switch means within said car toenergize such passenger-exit warning signal at the floor stationselected by said switch-means actuation during the interval in whichsaid car is approaching and stopping at said floor station, suchmechanism comprising also means for de-energizing such passenger-exitwarning signal when the car resumes its movement following such stop.

2. In an automatic elevator installation comprising a car, a pluralityof oor stations, up and down hall` lanterns `foreach of such oors,automatic power mechanism Vfor moving the car between oor stations, andmanually operable switch means within said car for controlling saidautomatic power mechanism to stop the car at any selected one of saidfloor stations, the improvement which comprises a passenger exit warningsignal located at each of-said oor stations, and electrical relaymechanism operative responsively to an actuation of sain' switch meansin said car to energize Stich passenger-exit warning signal at the oorstation selected by said switchmeans actuation during the interval inwhich said car is approaching and stopping at said floor station, suchmechanism comprising also means for de-energizing such passonger-exitwarning signal when the car resumes its movement following such stop.

3. In an automatic elevator installation comprising a car, a pluralityof oor stations, power mechanism for moving the car between floorstations, an automatic selector having a crossbead and loor bars forcontrolling automatically the operation of said power mechanism, saidfloor bars having a plurality of banks of electrical contact members andsaid crosshead carrying a plurality of crosshead contacts each of whichis adapted for cooperation with one of said banks of Hoor-bar contacts,and a plurality of manually operable switches within said car, each ofwhich is connected to a Contact in one of said banks of Hoor-barcontacts for stopping said car at any selected one of said oor stations,the improvement which cornprises a passenger-exit electric warningsignal at each of said floor stations, each of said passenger-exitwarning signals being connected to a contact in another bank of saidfloor-bar contacts, a relay coil connected in circuit with the crossheadcontact which cooperates with said rst-mentioned bank of floor-barcontacts, said relay coil being provided with a pair of contactsoperated thereby, and circuit means associated with said relay contactsoperative to energize the passenger-exit warning signal at V8any-particular one of said voor-stations responsively tomanual'actuation of'the'aforesaid car switch for such floor station,such passenger-exit warning signal being 'encrgized when said crossheadcontacts engage said floorbu' contacts for such `iloor station duringmovement of said crosshead in said selector, said circuit meanscoinprising also means for de-energizing such passenger-exit warningsignal when the car resumes its movement after stopping at such oorstation.

L?. in an automatic elevator installation comprising a car, a pluralityof oor stations, up and down hall lanterns for each of such oors,automatic power mcchanism for moving the car between lloor stations, agroup of manually operable switch means within said car for controllingsaid automatic power mechanism to stop the.` car at any selected one ofsaid Hoor stations, and an additional group of manually operable switchmeans, the switches in said group being respectively situated at each ofsaid oor stations, for controlling said automatic power mechanism tostop the car at any selected one of said iloor stations, the improvementwhich comprises a passonger-exit warning signal located adjacent eachswitch in .said last-mentioned group, and mechanism operativeresponsively to an actuation of one of the manually operable switchmeans in said other group to energize said passenger-exit warning signalduring the interval in which said car is approaching and stopping at aoor station responsively to said actuation, such mechanism comprisingalso means for de-energizing such passenger-exit warning signal when thecar resumes its movement following such stop.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

